SpaceX’s dependable Falcon 9 rocket experienced an unusual issue on Thursday night (July 11) during a launch of Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Initially, the rocket performed well: stages separated on schedule, and the first stage landed as planned on a drone ship. However, the upper stage, tasked with delivering 20 Starlink spacecraft to low Earth orbit, encountered difficulties.
According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the upper stage experienced an anomaly while attempting to restart its engines to adjust the orbit’s perigee. Musk reported, “Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown. Team is reviewing data tonight to understand root cause. Starlink satellites were deployed, but the perigee may be too low for them to raise orbit. Will know more in a few hours.”
Shortly after, SpaceX provided more details, stating, “During tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink, the second-stage engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed into a lower-than-intended orbit. SpaceX has made contact with 5 of the satellites so far and is attempting to have them raise orbit using their ion thrusters.”
Musk acknowledged the uncertainty of success in this endeavor, commenting, “will probably not work, but it’s worth a shot.”
During the flight, observers noted an abnormal sight: a buildup of ice near the upper stage’s engine during firing, potentially indicating a propellant leak, though SpaceX has not confirmed this speculation.
The Falcon 9, renowned for its reliability and frequent launches (69 in 2024 alone), has encountered very few failures in its history. This incident marks a rare setback that SpaceX will need to investigate thoroughly before determining its impact on future missions.
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